James



J. O. ALTER.

Low-Water Indicator.

Patented Aug. t3, 1867.

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Letters .Patent No. 67,702, dated August I3, 1867.

IMPRQVEMENT IN LOW-WATERV IN DIGATOES.

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TO'ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES O. ALTER,.o` the cityl and county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvementl in Low-Water Guugesfor,Steam-Boilers; and Ihcreby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had vto the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional elevation of the improved gauge.

Figure 2 is an Velevation showing the face of the dial.

The nature of this invention consists in the arrangement of packing in thc stem ln such a manner as to prevent steam or dampness from passing through* to the dial and there corroding -the stem in such a, manner as to prevent its proper action, and relates only to details ot' construction.

'.Io enable those skilled in the art to make and use my improved gauge, I'will proceed to describe its construction and operation. A v V The hollow stem A A may be made in two pieces, 'coupled together by the nut A2,and secured to the boiler-plate B by the two soft-metal nuts a a. The packing-box C is to be screwed to the outer end ofthe stem A1, and a check-nut, not shown,'may be usedv to render the joint betwceu'these parts perfectly tight. The dial-case D, having a glass face, D', will be screwed on to the packing-case or box C in the usual manner at d. The. float E will act, through the medium of its rods and couplings El E2 E3, up-onrthe finger El, in the usual manner of such gauges, to indicate the stage of the water iu the boilers. The rod E2, which has one ot' its ends securely attached to the coupling E3, and its other end to the ngcr. E, passes loosely through a hole made for it in the soft-metal packingF, which is thus formed into an annular packing within its case C. The coupling E3, to which the float-rod El and the tinger-rod-E2 are-attached, has on its outer .end an annular packing-edge, e, the section of which, asseen in the drawings, i's somewhat inthe shape of the letter V, the apex of which rests upon the soft-metal packing F, and forms a perfect and cheap packing, and at the same time one Which permits the free and easy rotation of the edge e 0x1 its packing l", thereby securing the certain action ofthe ioat upon the nger in front of the dial-plate. In some of the gauges new in use for Vthis purpose, as, for instance, the Firth gauge, the action of the gauge indicator is-not always reliable, because the pressure of steam from the boiler pressing against a packing of India rubber, resting against a square shoulder, produces such an amountfof friction as to prevent the float from turning the finger of thc indica-tor. In others the steam passes through so as to crrode the rod E2, where it passes through the case D, and in this manner in a short time seriously impairs or wholly prevents the action of the gauge. To prevent this escape of steam. when the pressure in the boiler is low, I place a spiral spring, G, behind it, so as to throw it oft` from the stem A1.

I do not claim as any part of my invention the arrangement of the oat and needle mounted on the opposite ends of a single bent rod, well knowing that a claim so worded was allowed to Thomas Firth, November 13, 1866.

Having described my invention, what I' claim, is-

p The sharp Yannular packing-edge e, -in combination with a softfmetal packing, F, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described and'set forth.

I also claim the coupling E3, the spring G, and the stem A1, combined and operated in the manner herein described and set forth.

JAMES 0. ALTER.

Witnesses:

C. R. PRATT, CHAs. II. Borrar. 

